The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-05
CARS FOR THE NEGROES.
THE Jim CROW" AND OTHERS PRO-
vIDED FOR THEM.


| The "jim crow car is now an object of
| great Importance, especially since 1t has
been introduced to the Interstate Commerce
| Commissioners at Washington Like many
Others it owes its Importance to its assocla-
tions rather than to itself A short while
since the name Jim crow" was unknown,
comparatively, and few knew of its mean
ing. The railroad men in this parto the State
never heard of it till it was made an issue OF
| by the aggrieved Mr.. Council. The origin
of the phrase seems wrapped in mystery.
| One report says that in some of the North
Georgia sections the good cracker people IN
their rural simplicity, call their colored
neighbors ''jim crows" This local nomen-
clature grew and finally it was applied to
| the cars to which the negroes We're restricted.
| These at first were the "double-decker" ca
booses that were run on the freights. They
were larger than the usual cars, and the
centre, with sliding doors at the side, was
| arranged as a sort of storeroom for carryz
ing supplies for the hands At each end of
the car were seats for passengers, one for
whites, the other for negroes. A ladder or
stairway afforded access 10 the roof, where
double seats were placed for the conductor
and brakeman.
THEY OBJECTED TO TOBACCO.
These were used in various forms for sew
eral years Immediately after the civil rights
bill was passed, some of the cars being
merely box cars with benches running along
the side. As time passed public
roads were obliged to give
better accommodations. Improvements
were added from time TO time, in more or
| less degree, and then the half or COM
| bination" car was adopted and it is still In
use on many roads This is an ordinary
| passenger car, divided by wire netting III
| the centre, the front compartment being
| used as a smoker for the whites and the
| other as colored peoples car. The better
| portion of the colored people object to this
| car, as many drunken men come in their
| compartment and they complain too Of the
| fumes of the tobacco from the front portion.
| These divisions are much more in the North
| ern and Western parts of the State than
| here. Some of the roads are in the advance
| in matters of this kind and boldly took the
stand of equal accommodations to all. y
| Notably in this respect was the Central and
the Savannah, Florida and Western rail
| roads
| COL. wADLEY'S IDEA
The late Col. Wadley. with his usual
clear-headedneSs, after the passage of the
| civil rights bill, placed the Central in the
right position by providing equally as good
| cars for the colored people as for the whites.
| They were not aesthetic cars, as that road
| at that time was as much noted for the
| simplicity of its rolling stock as it was for
| the honesty of its management. The cars
| for the colored people were for their exclu-
| sive use and no white person was permitted
to ride or even to remain in them any
| length of time. Conductors elected white
| man from these cars as quickly as
| they did colored man from a
white persons car. The Supreme Court
| in test case under the civil rights bill mot
against the Central, however,, decided that
when railroad gave negroes as good &C
| Communications us they did the whites there
was no violation of the law, thus fully in
| dorsing the wisdom and justice of Col. Wad
| leys plan.
| RUNNING EMPTY CARS
| 1t is well-known fact that the colored
travel was very light at times, and Otter
the car for the colored people left this
| city empty, but nevertheless il
was the rule, and it was adhered to strictly
The same plan has been continued on this
road, and has proved to be wise one. Nc
trouble has ever occurred on the road in this
| respect, and no complaints have ever beer
made by the colored people, regarding any
discrimination against them. The officers
| of the Central believe in giving equal ac
commodations where ali pay the same
price, and the result has proved
the wisdom of their course
On the Savannah, Florida and Western
railway the same plan is pursued, but it is
| more general in its character First-clas
cars are supplied for the colored people a.
well as the white, and no discrimination is
used.
THE COLOR LINE FAINT.
| p,,t OF ic lyaY,f
If white man prefers TO ride with the col
ored people he can do so, and if a coloreC
| person rides in the white car and be
HAYES the conductor does not interfere
Frequently the residents of some of the
towns along the limo feel aggrieved at see
ing negro sitting i'll the white car, anC
they proceed to summarily eject him or her
| On the main line the trains are always large
| enough to give ample accommodations fol
all, and it seldom happens that the ''combi
nation" car is run ON it. On the branches
and on some of the accommodation trains
the combination car, smoker in front anC
compartment behind for the colored, is run
However, no trouble has heen caused OF
this road ON this score, and the colOred peo
pie seem well satisfied with what is pro
vided for them.
A GOOD RULE TO FOLLOW,
Most of the railroad men in the city say
tllut Us LIlt pay Salllc
they should receive equally as good accom-
nodations every way, and that has beer
their rule always. In other parts of thu
State the Jim crow car is a familiar fea
ture on every train. Some roads provide
the combination car, which is q good one
and satisfactory TO the colored people saw,
for the smokers part of it, while other
only provide very inferior and dirty cars
for the colorcd travel IF the Central OF
the Savannah, Florida and Western car
maintain their plans and give value re
ceiyed," say some of the prominent coloret
men, why cannot the other roads adopt the
same rule, and, as we pay the same fare a,
others, give our people equal accommoda
tons and privileges~
| VERY DIRTY PASSENGERS.
"Its hard subject" said railroader
"from tho very fact that the majority OF
the cOlored people are SO ter
libly dirty. Why I've seen car
20 out of here clean and neat as n pin, and
VIXEN it returned after one or two trips, it
would knock man down at forty rods.
Now what are we to do. There are many OF
them who are nice and neat, but how can We
make distinction. These naturally OBJ
ject 20 sitting beside some of
the turpentine "coons," and | don't
blame them much. The best we can do is
to see they have separate and good cars,
though
An intelligent colored man, when asked
! about t,, ,,,nt+a,. thpx, only 4